Bottle crate



NOV 13 l E. M. PENNOCK Er AL BOTTLE CRATE, 1980352 Filed March 4, 1951 CIL Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UN [TED `Minn., yassignors'to G. H. rTennant Company, Minneapolis, Minn., farorporation of Minne- Application vMarch-4, 1931, Serial No..519,918

12 Claims.

This invention relates to bottle crates, where a series of narrow wooden slats are 4used'to'provide the side walls thereof. Theseslats are superimposed edge to edge and by suitable reinforced metal corner members the crate is formed to provide a strong body portionlwith side and endwalls which have an insulating or cushioning effect in protecting the bottles against shock when the crates strike `one against the other and inthe handling of these crates when they are stacked one upon the other.

A feature in this crate resides in asimple construction to provide for the manufacture of the same so that the crate may be quickly and easily assembled to form a partitioned crate provided to receive the bottles and hold them inseparate compartments. This crate is particularly adapted to milk bottles, however, it may be used wherever it is desired to carry a series of bottles in a crate so that they may be easily removed therefrom.

A feature resides in the partitions'which are made up'as units and'whichare -slipped or nested between the slats in the assembly of the crate. These partitions are held in place by the edgesof the slats and form spacers to divide the inside of the crate into the bottle compartments.

In the drawing,

Figure l illustratesa perspective viewof a bottle crate having the reinforced corner members and stacking lugs.

Figure 2 is a detail section showing the 'manner in which the partition unit is held between vthe slats.

Figure 3 is a perspective View ofone of the partition units.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the bottom .unit which is used in making up our crate.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the slats used in making the side walls of our crate.

The crate A may be designed of any suitable shape and naturel and the side walls of the same are composed of a series of narrow slats which may be formed of Iwood or other non-'metallic material having a nature to provide a cushion or insulation between the crates so that the bottles held in the crate A will not be broken shouldvthe crates be slammed one against the other in use.

`The slats 10 have a narrow constructionand are formed with `longitudinal edge portions 11. In making up the crate A, the slats 10 are formed with a saw-cut or slot 12 near the end thereof so that theymay be-slipped in between the .outer corner member 13-and the inner corner member 14. The outer corner member is formed with inturned edges 15 which engage in theslots 12 of each of the slats 10. This is primarily for the purpose of holding-.the slats .-10 in position in assembly and building up of the side walls of the crate A.

The simplicity of this crate resides in the making of thefpartition units B complete in their entirety, asiillustrated in Figure 3 and then placing the same between the edges 11 of the slats 10. Astrip 16 formed in a rectangular shape, as i1- lustrated -in Figure 3, provides the outer frame of the unit B and by means of the rigid stay-rods 17 and 18 which extend between the sides of the frame 16,- we provide suitable spacers which extend,y at right angles to each other to divide ythe frame 16 into compartments C for receiving the individual bottles. The stay-rivets 17 andl are formed with an annular shoulder 20 which engages on the inside of the frame 16 while the outer end of the rivet or stayrods 17 and 18 are riveted over to provide the head 1 on the outside of the frame member 16. By riveting these rods 17 and 18 to the strip 16, the frame of the unit B is formed of a rigid strong nature. The rods 17 and 18 extending at right angles to each other touch at their intersecting points. This also tends to make the unit B more rigid and firm so that it may act to provide a partition member when it is spaced between the edges 1ll of the side walls of the crate A.

A suitable bottom unit D is formed which is similar to the unit B and which is provided with a strip 22 formed of a rectangular nature like the unit B. In this unit D rivet stay-rods 23 extend in pairs so as to be sufiiciently close .togethery to form bottoms for the bottles held in the crate A. The pairs of stay-rods 23 are positioned in relation to the compartments C of the units B so as to come directly under or across the center of these compartments C and thus the bottomof the bottle will rest upon these rods 23. In this manner, the unit D forms a bottom member while the unit B. forms a partition member for the crate A.

In assembling the crate A, the simplicity of the structure vaccomplishes a result to provide an economical `bottle crate A which may be used to carry milk bottles or any other kindof bottlesand which has a rigid and strong structure 'to withstand harduse. The lower slats 10 of the crate Amay be made narrow so that the bottom unit D may be placed closer to the lower edge and in assembling the crate A, the lower slats l0 are slid into engagement with the angle sides 13 and 14'and then the bottom unit D is dropped into place, then the next side slats 10 are dropped into engagement with the top of the bottom unit D in the same manner .as the .unit B is held and illustrated in Figure 2, so that the edges 1l of the adjacent slats engage with the sides of the unit D. The slats 104and 10 are cut out so as to receive the stripportion 16` and 22 and so that the abutting .edgesbf @the slats 10 will .tightly engage against the contacting portions ofthe unit'B or D. After the slats 10 have been placed on top or" the unit D, then one of the units B may be placed v the slats may be arranged so that the widthL on top of the slats 10 and then another series of slats l0 placed lon top of this unit B after which the next unit B is placed against the upper edges of the slats l0 and the remaining number of slats 10 placed on top of the last partition unit B placed in the crate A.

It will be noted as many partitions as may be desired may be placed in vthe crate A andthat thereof provides a spacing means which properly spaces the bottom and the partition units B in the crate A. After all of the units B and `D are in position and the slats lo have all been placed in proper relation between the corner members 13 and 14, it is desirable that the slats 10 be squeezed down tightly and thens'uitable rivets 25 may be passed through the corner members 13 and'l4 so as to rigidly clamp thebottom unit D and the partition units B inA place between the edges of the slats 10. In this manner the units B and vD form a simple means of construction for the crate A and are cushioned between the slats so as tor protect the same and hold the units' virtually cushioned between the slats 10. Thesimplicity of this crate provides an economical means oi forming a strong` and durable bottle crate which may be used either for milk bottles or as a bottle carrier of any desirable nature.

In accordance with the patent statutes, We have described the principles of our bottle crate and the unitary nature of 'the bottom and partition units, however, the drawing and speciiication merely endeavor to point out a manner in which these may be made and connected together and the invention should be interpreted within the scope of the following claims:

We claim: f

1. A bottle crate made up of a series of removable narrow slatted non-metallic members, metal reinforced corner members open at the top and extending over the corners of said members on the inside and outside thereof, and partition and bottom units held between said slatted members as a unit removably clamped by said slatted members. v

2. A bottle crate including, a series of nonmetallic Slat-like members, means for holding saidrmembers together to form side walls with said members edge to edge, and an outer surface on said side walls partition and bottom units held extending partially over said outer surface and extending between said slatted members.

3. A bottle crate comprising, a series of rectangularly formed partition units having a striplike outer portion, a series of right angularly disposed stay-rivets connecting the sides of said strip portion to provide a unit partition, and a series of narrow Slat-like members clamping said rivets and adapted to space one or'more of said partition units between the edges of said Slat-like members to provide a divided bottle crate with individual bottle compartments. i

4. A partition unit for a bottle crate in combination with a crate structure having the side walls made up of a series of slatted members, said unit partition including a strip-like member 'formed to provide ay rectangular frame, a series of right angularly disposed stay-rivets extended between the sides of said frame, the slatted side members of vsaid crate holding said partition unit therebetween, and means for securing said side members of said crate to hold the Asame firmly clamped togetl'ierA with said partition unit betweenfthe edges rof the side slats.

5. The'combination, a series of Slat-like mem- "bers' adapted to be superimposed edge to edge 130 .provide side walls for a crate, partition units including arectangular strip-like frame portion,`

- stay-rivets lextending right angularly to each other riveted to said frame portion, a bottom having a strip-like rectangular frame, stay-rvets extending in pairs in parallel relation between the sides of said frame to form bottom portions,

andrneans for holding said partition units and .up of a seriesof slat members, partition unitsv comprising a strip-likei'edge 'and connecting partition Kmembers extending between the.. sides thereof, said strip edge adapted to enclose between the opposite sides thereof portions of adjacent slat members, and means for holding said partition members clamped between said slats.

8. A crate for bottles including, side walls made up ofa' series of slats, partition units made up of a frame member and partition members extend# ing between the sides` of said frame, and grooves v iii-some 'of 'said' slats' on the outside thereof to accommodate said'fra'me so that strain exerted against said partition members exerts an inward pressure against the outside of the frame.

9. A bottle crate including, slats placed edge to edge to form side and end walls, corner members for holding said slats in-proper relationship, and partition units comprising rectangular yframe means having strip-like side walls, partition members connecting opposed sides of said frame means, said unit being sandwiched between the edges-of adjacent slats,V the inside of the frame side walls bearing against the outside of the slatsl 4l0. A crate comprising side wallshformed 'of slats placed edge to edge, means for holding said slats in proper relationship, and partition units comprising a strip-like frame adapted to bear against the outside of some of said slats, and par.. tition members connecting opposed sides'of said frame..

-11. A lcrate comprising side walls, a strip-like frame adapted to extend around the outsidelof said side walls, andpartition members connecting opposed sides "of Vsaid frame'exte'nding through said `side walls.v v

` 12, A bottle crate havingv partitions, each includingr a narrow strip-like member formed to provide a .rectangular frame, a series of stay-rivets of smaller diameter than the Width of said strip-like member extending between the sidesof the frame, the crate including a series of Wall members vforming ythe crate walls, these rwall members extending within said strip-like mem'- bers for holding each vframe as a unit between the wall members of the bottle' crate to form partitions and a bottom for bottles heldin said crate.

' EDWARD M. PENNOCK.

LLOYD'HALE. 

